There are the birches

So I finished one birch tonight and started detailing several more and I am really starting to get into this painting. I am loving the detail. I put in some happy little grasses at the base of the tree and some happy little shadowy trees in the distanceand it is getting some real depth. Birches are such fun trees to paint. Jim thinks that sleeping on the couch is being my muse. Well at least he didnt go to bed on me. I think I am about more than a 1/4 of the way through detailing the birches and I will be putting in the shadowy trees in the background as a go. The grasses look really nice at the bases but the photo doesnt do it justice. Kind of shows up a lot more with the camera than it in reality does. I like the subtlety more. Same with the shadowy trees. It really is something more to see in person but this is my only mode of showing people. So enjoy. Hopefully I will paint tomorrow.

One Tree at a Time

So.... there are something like 8 trees in the painting. If I keep this up and 1/2 way do a tree a night it will take me 2.5 weeks to do the trees alone. hehehe this is where the craziness comes in. It wont take me that long. I just had a little drink in me from the pre-St Patty's day celebration tonight and I have an early day tomorrow. Tomorrow I will try to put more detail into that tree and then go onto the next. I think it is really popping!

Unmasked

Well I unmasked the trees tonight. I am thinking it was about time. Took me all evening. One of the only bad things about working so big. I really do like it though. I think the only other time I worked this big was the mermaid graphite drawing and that was one of my better works. We shall see how this one turns out. I will probably start detailing the trees and the ground cover and then layer on some more leaves in the trees possibly with watercolor pencil but have not yet decided.

Splatter, Splatter

Last night I did some splattering for the trees and the groundcover. I think I might have to go back and do some more to make it a little more dense. Then I can remove the masking which I am super happy about because I can then start to do some detail and start the trees which always makes me feel better about the painting.

Paintbrushes Help

So I did try and paint on Friday night too but I forgot my brushes at Mom's.... The most important part of course and I couldnt do without them. Last night I managed to get a wash on the painting. Jim was my muse providing my inspiration. This is what I came up with so far. I do have a long way to go and I cant wait to take the mask off the trees and start painting them too and getting to detail. I think I have a good start and of course already thinking about the next painting. I have never worked on a painting that I have to walk to the other side to get to. It is 45X26.5 which is huge!

It's been a long time paints...I missed you

Well, I was able to start a painting last night. Didn't get to the "painting" point yet but I did manage to do some masking. I am working on a "birches" painting. Going to do a giant wash on it and do some splattering into the wash like I did with my other "close up birch". This painting is about 36-40in wide and about 24 in tall. Kinda big to be starting out again on but I do best on bigger paintings. I am going to try and take a hint from mom and try and get juried on some of my stuff and go for it. What the heck have I been so afraid of taking a leap on this for. I have plenty of stuff I can try and get juried on. We shall see....maybe my studio is not too far off? What do you think of my start?

Watercolor?

Thursday night I am going to start painting again. I am hoping to make this my new career but I am gonna start out slow. Dee saw a line of paintings by an artist in Holland (mainly birches) and she wanted to buy one. I am gonna try and hook her into buying one of mine instead. Think I may just take a pic of the one birch painting I have done and post it up. Then whip up a bunch of them for her to choose. Thinking I am gonna hopefully get pics of them in different stages to post here. I may try to sell them on Etsy and see where that goes but I aspire to have my own studio. I would love to tech classes to kids and adults eventually too. I think I have done my time with what I am doing right now.